I know a small amount of C++ and was wondering what the step up to windows programming is like, and where you can learn basic windows programming.

11-06-2005

Mad_guy

Programming Windows by Charles Petzold.

Amazing book. Doesn't cover all the internals of windows programming though, mainly just GUI-oriented stuff. I can make recommendations for other system-level books, but Programming Windows is probably what you're looking for anyway.

11-06-2005

bumfluff

Is it a really difficult books because most of the books I have I understand the first section of the book but then it suddenly becomes very hard.

11-06-2005

Xycrom420

Hey

Hey Bumfluff. Im BRAND NEW to programming. I was reading your other posts and noticed you were someone of an rookie too. Just wondering if you could help me out with anything. I wanna get into this stuff but im having trouble with the "Beginners Turtz". If wouldnt mind helpin me out or clarifing some stuff just email me at skidmonkey@hotmail.com

Having trouble contacting you through these forums short of posting.

Cya :p

11-06-2005

Mad_guy

Quote:

Originally Posted by bumfluff

Is it a really difficult books because most of the books I have I understand the first section of the book but then it suddenly becomes very hard.

It's not a very hard book to understand. Given, it's not written as elegantly as something like "The Java Cookbook," but it's a pretty easy to read book that should start you off with windows programming.

MSDN is indeed a good reference, but you'll want a tutorial or book to teach you the basics. The best way to search MSDN is to use Google, but precede your search with "MSDN", then click "More results from msdn.microsoft.com".

11-06-2005

Lionmane

I haven't found Charles Petzold's book "Programming Windows, the definitive guide to the Win32 API" to be helpful at all:

The .NET framework is the new "windows api." If I were you, I'd take advantage of C++.NET or managed C++ instead of relying on an old API. In Vista, Win32 will be supported for backward support, but not necessarily updated anymore because of their high focus on .NET.

11-06-2005

Mad_guy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lionmane

I haven't found Charles Petzold's book "Programming Windows, the definitive guide to the Win32 API" to be helpful at all:

I'm pretty sure that, no matter how many problems you had with the book, they are mitigated by the fact that many windows programmers, including myself, the creator of winprog.org, tons of my friends, learned virtually everything they know from that one book that apparently is of quality ".5/5"

I can also guarantee, that generally sites like this (no offense to many here) and other places are generally written and maintained by hobbiests, who, as much as they do not like to admit it, don't understand topics such as programming win32 frontends on the level a professional like Charles Petzold, Jeffrey Richter, Matt Pietrek, etc. etc. might. You're the reader, it's your job to understand it. Syntax is NOT the most important thing anyway. What they teach you in the book is way more important than their examples (and when they do show examples, it's irrelivant if the code is right or not, just that you get the general concept, again, it's your job to understand it.) If you honestly did not learn anything from that book, I suggest you read it again.

11-07-2005

bumfluff

There will, I am sure, be many tutorial on the web written by proffessional programmers, however many of them often don't understand teaching and so do not explain things in a simple manner.